With longtime anchor Michelle Wright retiring at the end of February, WTAE has announced Elena LaQuatra as the new morning anchor moving forward.
Wright will retire after the February 27 broadcast on Channel 4.
LaQuatra will join co-anchor Janelle Hall, and meteorologist Ashley Dougherty in the morning.
Ryan Recker will move to evenings and will report during other parts of the day.
For LaQuatra, it’s a dream come true, a dream that 30 years ago seemed impossible.
After a bacterial meningitis infection left her deaf in both ears, doctors told her parents she likely wouldn’t ever talk again.
But as LaQuarta writes in a Facebook post, “what followed were numerous surgeries, a cochlear implant, and years of speech and hearing therapy. Eventually, I got my voice back… and I really haven’t stopped talking since.”
LaQuatra’s story has been shared before, but she says important milestones in her life make her reflect on her journey.
This moment is even more meaningful to me than just a career milestone - it's proof that barriers don't get the final word.
LaQuatra joined WTAE as a reporter in 2018 and in 2021 began anchoring the noon news and covering morning traffic.
The promotion is also a full circle moment for LaQuatra, who says she’s known Wright since high school.
“She has always been more than a colleague to me. She has shaped me — not just as a journalist and broadcaster — but as a person,” wrote LaQuatra.